You will often hear the refrain that “opera has an accessibility problem,” but not so on Friday night in Bryant Park.

New York City Opera (NYCO) lived up to their moniker of ‘the people’s opera,’ giving us “Opera Goes to Hollywood.” This was a truly fun evening packed with operatic hits, just using a bare stage, a string quartet, a pianist, and a talented lineup of featured performers. The audience was made up of attendees of all ages, and the park was comfortably full with very little lawn visible once all the blankets were laid out. A bar tent and multiple food vendors made sure the audience was well fed and receptive to what the night had in store.

Setting the tone immediately, emcee Robin Phillips brought the golden age glamor and easy charm, with eleven different spectacular gowns (by my count) over the course of the evening. She instantly won over the audience with her humor and presence, and gave welcome context for each piece, relaying which movie(s) they appeared in. A diva in the best way.

The concert opened with an instrumental rendition of the national anthem, during which violinist Alexander Markov channeled Jimi Hendrix, complete with distortion and riffs. The instrumentalists really made their inclusion in this vocal concert worthwhile. Markov brought pizzazz and eighties glam rock energy to his three pieces, nailing the passion of Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” and riding the bridge of his violin like a well-trained horse at a canter in
Khachaturian’s “Sabre dance.” Kristina Reiko Cooper on cello not only brought an incredibly rich sound and technique so seamless that everything she did looked easy, but had that unique ability to communicate when she played — to make you feel like she was speaking, that she had something to say. Her “Libertango” was beautifully assertive with flair to spare. “Bésame Mucho” was every bit as sexy as it should be, and “Oblivion” was haunting. She accompanied both dance numbers on the program, and gave the dancers a lot to work with emotionally.

The dancers were fabulous. The quartet of ballerinas from the Joffrey Ballet School masterfully executed
Angelica Stiskin’s tango-inspired choreography in “Libertango” with that ebb and flow tension between sharp movements and lyrical reaches so characteristic of the style. In “Oblivion,” tango duo Carol Koutouvides and Cristian Perry were not only technically impressive, but told a sensual, aching story of yearning and loss in a very impactful way.

The singers were stellar across the board. Latonia Moore, Marc Heller, Berj Karazian, Kristin Sampson, and Christopher Nazarian all delivered lovely performances. Heller showed great poise when his microphone glitched during his sensitively sung and emotionally grounded “Vesti la giubba” (“Pagliacci”) — he hardly missed a beat and performed the iconic aria as well as I have ever seen it done. Karazian’s bright yet hearty tenor sound balanced Sampson’s smooth soprano in the opening Brindisi. Nazarian, the lone low voice in the lineup, came across well during his warm rendition of “Some Enchanted Evening” (“South Pacific”). Moore subbed in for ‘Team Low Voice’ briefly, showing off her velvety middle register in the “Habanera” (“Carmen”). She truly shined at the points in her two arias where she added embellishments, showcasing not just her vibrant voice but her vibrant personality.

Though everyone did well, the standouts of the concert were Monika Falcon, Yunah Lee, and Marnie Breckenridge. Breckenridge brought the fun — her sparkly voice easily coasting over her high notes and her obvious joy shining through every second she was onstage. Lee brought the drama — every note she sang was imbued with meaning, her musicality so incorporated into her acting that you almost forgot she was singing. That, along with her rich sound supported by her free-flowing breath, made her “La mamma morta” (“Andrea Chénier”) truly moving. Special mention here goes to cellist Mark Shuman for his beautiful solo in the same piece. Falcon met Breckenridge and Lee in the middle, combining both the joy and the emotional weight. The first phrase of her “Pace, pace mio dio” (“La Forza del Destino”) was literally perfect, spinning a glittery sound that carried through the whole aria. All three of these performers were so embodied and comfortable onstage that you could really sink into the music and go along on the ride with them.

Maestros Constantine Orbelian, Stefano Vignati, and Michael Fennelly were every soloist’s dream, maintaining cohesion in the ensemble while still allowing the performers freedom of interpretation. And of course we have to acknowledge the crew and orchestral musicians! The string quartet and pianist did a great job supporting and elevating each piece. The technical team acquitted themselves well: opera with microphone is never easy, and they did a good job with the balance.

Overall, this delightful concert really showed off what opera can be in the wider consciousness: fun and informative, humorous and beautiful, accessible and high quality. Bravi tutti!